Barry Baker

Loves journalism, is not a journalist. Loves politics, is not a politician. Loves the media, is not a medium. Barry is committed to helping the world become a more interesting place with Power of Opinion.

Despite my contention that a hermit in a cave should be able to divine the affairs of men half a continent away, I have somehow been tripped up in my prediction that David Emerson would parachute into Kamloops for the upcoming election. While the prospect of Mr. Emerson's candidacy here might have been confirmed or disproved with an interview, I defend my right (or is it, responsibility) as a blogger to not pursue any facts that might get in the way of a good story. My specialty is speculation, not investigation.

To share your thoughts about candidate quotas, the October 14 federal election, David
Emerson, Larry Campbell, the senate, or
anything else about this post with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops
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September 01, 2008

If Baker is not careful, he's in danger of giving blogging a good name.

Kamloops News Editor Mel Rothenburger, 30-Aug-08

I've never been terribly comfortable with praise. So my first reaction upon reading Mel Rothenburger's most recent Armchair Mayor column, in which he introduced his new blog and provided a nod to mine, was to blush. Then I told my wife. And my mother. Then, à la George W. Bush after his 2004 re-election, I started looking for a way to spend my newly discovered editorial capital. It is my style.

So here it is.

The experts are wrong. Canada will not have a federal election this fall.

Everywhere we see signs of an imminent federal election. Prime Minister Harper asked Governor-General Michaëlle Jean to cancel her trip to China, so she would be available to dissolve parliament. Then Mr. Harper made the case for why an early election would not contravene Bill C-16, which fixed the next election date on Oct. 19, 2009. Both Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe say the Prime Minister is bent on an election. Most major news services (Reuters, the Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, etc.), it seems, agree that Mr. Harper engineering a fall election. Polls like this recent Angus Reid Strategies report tend to support the notion that the timing is good for Mr. Harper, given that Stephane Dion's star is waning even further. And most of the Ottawa press gallery seems convinced Mr. Harper is itching for a fight.

OK, maybe we won't bet everything on red; here's a push. If Harper does call a fall election, it will have less to do with this parliament than it does with the next one.

Why? Because there is no obvious or immediate upside to a fall election - which many (of the same pundits I summarily dismissed earlier) anticipate will simply lead to a "fresh" Conservative minority mandate - other than the effect it would have upon the internal politics of the Liberal party over the subsequent eighteen months.

By the time you read this post, I will probably already be looking for ways to remove these musings from the Google cache. But for at least the next 12 hours, I'm betting this government will live to see another election crisis. And that's the last of my editorial capital. Are we back to giving blogging a bad name yet?

To share your thoughts about contrary views, Stephen Harper, the looming election, Stephane Dion, the Armchair Mayor, or anything else about this post with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, just click on "Comments" (below).

August 28, 2008

Kamloops blogging enthusiasts may recall with some dread/joy how one Saturday morning back in February, we discovered that Kamloops News editor Mel Rothenburger had made us the subject of his Armchair Mayor column, Beware mainstream media: the bloggers are here.

Mr. Rothenburger struck a tone not too dissimilar from that uttered by many bloggers with respect to the mainstream media: skeptical. But rather than beware the blogger, at the time I invited the good former Mayor and his peers to instead embrace their online experience and become one with the blogger (Media Spotlight on Kamloops Blogs? It Ain't Nothin' But a Zen Thing).

I'm searching for the right expression... Be careful what you wish for?My chickens have come home to roost? Ah, got it!

I surrender. I throw in the towel. I give up. I am now (gasp) a blogger. Yes, I have had some unkind things to say about bloggers in the past, and probably will again. But since they are here to stay, I may as well join the crowd. For the past week, I've been quietly blogging away on http://armchairmayor.wordpress.com and, I must admit, it's kind of fun. It's a work in progress, a bit primitive at the moment, but I'm a newbie after all. Change Happens[the name of the post upon which his announcement/comment appeared] is probably a good place to post this. I look to RightUpYourAlley for inspiration on how to go about blogging in a respectful, intelligent, well-informed manner.

Cheers. Mel.

Truthfully Mel, this blogger and media junkie is eagerly anticipating what you have in store for us, especially considering your stated focus (regular columns, civic politics,and the media biz). Having a politician/journalist of your profile posting online regularly will no doubt infuse traditional Kamloops blogs with a shot of the good stuff: eyeballs and dialogue. That is your mission, should you choose to accept it.

While you ponder this assignment, I suggest you also consider arming yourself with some of the more popular blogging accoutrements, such this floor length, gossamer-clad disclaimer policy. It provides an unparalleled (and some say undeserved) sense of safety in nearly all situations.

But while Mr. Rothenburger jokes that he has thrown in the towel, it does now seem that these professional bloggers (think of Dale Bass, Greg Drinnan, Christopher Foulds, Catherine Litt, Dana Bach, Mark Rogers, etc.) are starting to surround the amateurs. What are we gonna do?

To share your thoughts about Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor, blogging, the Kamloops News, CFJC-TV, Radio NL, newspapers, traditional media, media convergence, or
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August 15, 2008

After a long period of inactivity on the local political scene, things started to get underway in earnest recently when both Peter Milobar and Murphy Kennedy declared for the chair being vacated by current mayor Terry Lake.

I planned to observe the contest for a while to learn more about the candidates, but when frequent local blog commenter Quimby asked that I stop navel gazing and state my piece on Mr. Kennedy, I decided to take up his challenge and prove that there is no opinion like an uninformed opinion.

First, I agree with Kamloops News Editor Mel Rothenburger that Mr. Milobar will probably be the next mayor of Kamloops. He is well-known, articulate, and widely/rightly associated with many of the positive developments that have transpired during his tenure on council.

Mr. Kennedy, on the other hand, is a relative unknown. And while his blog provides some insight into his roots and vision, his team should keep in mind that change may not be a winning theme in Kamloops. I discovered that myself during the last municipal election, while volunteering for one of the local candidates who showed poorly at the polls. That candidate also challenged the status quo, and suffered as a result.

Now, while Mr. Kennedy may take this election on the chin, his push for a ward system is interesting. Many communities here in Canada and south of the border are returning to ward systems, for a number of reasons.

The at-large electoral process allowed citizens to vote for all
candidates on the ballot and was supposed to encourage elected
officials to focus their concerns on the larger community rather than a
small district. Over time, however, the at-large voting system
increasingly came to be seen as supportive of a political status quo
that discouraged representation of minority and ethnic interests. Many
cities have recently reintroduced wards--often as part of a combined
system that includes at-large and ward representation--as a means of
correcting this perceived flaw.

While things are generally good in the city, some issues (like the incredibly unnecessary backyard burning bylaw) go over very poorly in particular neighbourhoods. When these issues arise, the prospect of having neighbourhood-level representation becomes very attractive. Having said that, ward systems create their own set of problems.In Governing ourselves? The Politics of Canadian Communities (2004), Mary Louise McAllister explained,

Vancouver remains the single major Canadian city still conducting civic
contests city wide... it is difficult for the voter presented with so
many choices to get to know and understand the positions of all the
candidates. This situation also gives the incumbents and an advantage
over candidates running for the first time because their names will be
familiar to voters.

On the other hand, the ward system has its
share of problems, including many for which it was known historically.
Ward-based politicians may be interested only in advancing the
interests of their own area at the expense of the broader community,
and such a system could also lead to divisive political debates.

I suspect that Mr. Kennedy will do his best to frame this election on issues, because he personally doesn't have enough current curb appeal to attract voters away from Mr. Milobar in a straight-up comparison of candidates.

As far as issues go however, the ward system is a good one; it may cause voters in some neighbourhoods to ask themselves what's in this election for them. And it may also play well with the significant number of frustrated citizens who voted for the Mixed Member Representation option in the 2005 provincial election. Nevertheless, the move to a ward system does represent some pretty fundamental change. If Mr. Kennedy can stay focused on vision and avoid introducing issues other than this which represent fundamental change, voters may give him a chance to make this a real contest.

To share your thoughts about the upcoming municipal election, Murphy Kennedy, Peter Milobar, the ward system, or
anything else about this post with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops
readers, just click on "Comments"
(below).

Harper is determined to keep Emerson in government, instructing Tory officials to find a safe British Columbia riding for the former top B.C. bureaucrat and business leader to run in during the next election.

Emerson currently represents Vancouver Kingsway, where he was twice elected as a Liberal. However, his stunning defection to the Tories sparked an angry backlash in the riding, the lingering effects of which would likely doom any attempt to seek a third term.

Indeed, Emerson has signalled privately that he'll quit politics rather than face humiliating defeat. Hence, Conservatives are searching for another riding where Emerson would be more welcome.

Insiders say Tory officials are now exploring the possibility of a riding in B.C.'s Conservative-friendly interior.

So, into which Conservative-friendly Interior riding do you think Mr. Emerson might parachute?

That leaves just one BC Interior riding without a nominated candidate for the next election: Kamloops - Thompson - Cariboo. Betty Hinton didn't win the last election by a landslide (in fact, it was the narrowest winning margin of those carried by the Conservatives in the Interior during the 2006 election), so one might argue that this is the least "Conservative-friendly" riding in the Heartlands. But since then Ms. Hinton has delivered a lot of goodies, so with the right candidate in place, Kamloops - Thompson - Cariboo should be a solid blue win.

Given that this is the only Interior riding in which Mr. Emerson would not displace a duly-nominated candidate, the political bounce would probably be considerably less here than elsewhere. Of course Mr. Emerson's position as a star in Harper's cabinet would also play well; it's been a long time since a Kamloops MP sat in cabinet. And there has been a lot of speculation as to why the local Conservative
riding association has not nominated a candidate to replace Ms. Hinton since she announced in October of 2007 that she wouldn't run in the next election.

Mr. Emerson's deep domain expertise in the forestry and transportation sectors is a strong positive, although forestry might become a weakness if the local contest turned into a referendum on the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement he ushered in as Minister for International Trade. But if the Minister does land in Kamloops, the shrillest shrieks of outrage won't come from voters, but rather from NDP and Liberal riding associations caught flat-footed without their own star candidates.

To share your thoughts about the upcoming federal election, David Emerson, the benefits of sending a senior cabinet minister to Ottawa, the problems with parachuting candidates, other ridings Mr. Emerson might represent should he elect to run again, or
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July 06, 2008

The Kamloops News ran a story Saturday about councilor/blogger Arjun Singh's decision to out an anonymous commenter on his blog. I criticized the story for looking to a professional - albeit blogging - journalist (Sean Holman of the Public Eye Online) for his thoughts about Mr. Singh's decision, because I felt that it wasn't fair to assess the local blogger based upon journalistic principles that really aren't relevant to to him. Despite a lifetime of experience that has taught me the dangers of doing so, after wittily including a YouTube video of the Cookie Monster to really drive my point home, I indulged the urge to enjoy a moment of satisfaction with myself .

Then this evening, after returning from night out at the movies with my Dad and a buddy, I checked my voice mail.

There, along with several other messages, was a Friday morning request (I'm on my own this weekend, no spouse or kids around the house to blame for the missed messages) from Michele Young of the Kamloops News asking for my thoughts about the evolving story. She said she was looking for some perspective from a local blogger before going to press.

So Ms. Young, although I didn't name you as the author, please accept my sincere apologies for criticizing your story when in fact you did attempt to balance it with input from a local blogger. Where once witty blogger was, now feeling dumber is.

To share your thoughts about instant karma, balanced reporting, or anything else about this post with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops
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July 05, 2008

Things have been very busy over the past couple of months, with much
travel for business, and a little for pleasure, keeping me occupied and
apparently too worn down to even form an opinion. However I seldom find
anything as motivating as a kick in the ass, which I received last
Saturday morning courtesy of Michelle Young of the Kamloops Daily News.

Now, Ms. Young didn't deliver the kick in the ass so much as represent(!)
it. While waiting for our respective children at a sports event we
talked a little about her work, and I asked how many stories she writes
in a day. Suffice to say that when council meets, it's a lot. It
brought to mind a similar conversation with Dale Bass some time ago.
Reflecting upon how these two veteran lady journalists turn out such a
volume of stories with daily - or, every-other-daily - regularity as it were, rendered me a little sheepish for having avoided my own posts for so long.

Mr. Singh published a post on his "Your Kamloops" blog on Friday in which he drew a somewhat straight line between anonymous comments on his blog and the Kamloops law firm of Morelli Chertkow. While I have been generally impressed by Mr. Singh's ability to take criticism on the chin, this knee-jerk reaction strikes me as a little sensitive and more than a little targeted at veteran Councilor (and Morelli Chertkow lawyer) John O'Fee.

In a subsequent series of comments on the post, Mr. O'Fee challenged the propriety of the post given the blog's prior record on anonymous comments, to which Mr. Singh responded,

"...you should know that someone in your law firm is posting inflammatory comments during business hours. I personally think that is inappropriate, and is the main reason that I wrote about it. This outweighs, in my view, any right to anonymity.

For the record, I welcome critical comments on this blog. All the comments are still posted untouched. I reserve the right though to research where those comment come from and publicly talk about them.

Is it not a problem, for your perspective, that of the comments from Jake, JR, Big Betty, etc are being posted during office hours, from your law firm's computers.?

That doesn't wash, according to Mr. O'Fee's comments to Kamloops This Week, "I mean, come on, Arjun. You seem to be obsessed with tracking down your critic.”

I'm not sure I would call tracking IP addresses obsessive. It's actually rather common behaviour among technologists, whether or not they blog. I too have researched the people who have commented on Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops posts, typically in an attempt to better understand their perspectives, but also in an attempt to inform myself about the issues over which my commentators seem to have a stronger command. And that doesn't leave many stones unturned!

Now, on this blog identities have remained anonymous because I don't really see the point in outing them, although in some cases the people behind these anonymous comments have flaunted their identity to me in private while bearing their fangs at me (and others) anonymously in public. Poor manners? Check. S.N.A.F.U. on the Internet? Check.

It does seem rather disingenuous of Mr. Singh to excuse himself with concerns about his visitors' workplace activities; as an experienced technology commentator surely he is familiar with the enormous amount of personal Internet activity pursued during working hours. But if he is that concerned about workplace productivity, why hasn't he reported similar investigations on the regulars who frequently leave positive comments on his blog?

In the end however, just because I blog doesn't mean I am qualified to judge another blogger's practices; very few of us follow established codes of ethics. So why do some of the local media insist on holding Mr. Singh to their professional journalistic standards?

"As a journalist, I consider when people publish comments on my site, I consider those to be comments from off the record sources, almost. So I wouldn’t violate their privacy"

Interviewing another journalist about this story makes about as much sense as asking a real estate agent whether you should inoculate your child. The fact that Sean Holman runs one of the most popular blogs in BC may on the surface appear relevant, but the similarity is skin deep. Mr. Holman is a veteran and award-winning print journalist (now or previously with the Globe and Mail, the Wall Street Journal's Dow Jones News Service, the Victoria Times Colonist, the Vancouver Sun, and 24 Hours), radio personality, journalism instructor, and publisher. Mr. Singh is a technophile and a local politician. One of these things is not like the other.

I support Mr. Singh's independence as a blogger, but suspect that his broadside in Mr. O'Fee's direction has more to do with solidifying his own position as a political outsider in the run-up to the municipal election than anything else. Mr. Singh doesn't need to beat Mr. O'Fee (who is arguably our most effective local politician) in the polls, he just needs to finish in the top eight. And galvanizing his base by feeding their suspicions that the establishment is "out to get him", certainly won't hurt his chances at the polls.

To share your thoughts on ethics for bloggers, the differences and
similarities between bloggers and journalists, anonymity, politicos, anything else about this post with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops
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(below).

May 29, 2008

I couldn't help but chuckle when I read Wednesday's Kamloops News story, Tagged by the city: City hall threatens resident to clean up graffiti or face fine by Cam Fortems.

The story reported how some downtown residents are getting heat from the city over graffiti artwork appearing on their property. Kamloops city council has adopted various bylaws to control graffiti, with which it is now encouraging Ruth Clark, Casey Kaldal, and others to remove graffiti when it appears on their properties:

Bylaw staff have threatened homeowners on Battle Street to either clean up murals on alley walls or City workers will do it for them [at cost to the homeowner]...

The City has given Kaldal and Clark the option of applying for a permit for a mural on private property. The final decision is made by council.

“He’ll have to spell out his design, his proposal,” [Bylaws Supervisor Jon] Wilson said. “I’m sure they’ll take a good look and see if it has merit.”

It seems that the city prefers graffiti to be permanent rather then fleeting, which seems rather counter to the art form (if you can call it that). Once graffiti becomes permanent however, we can refer to it as a "mural". Murals are good; as described above, you can get a city permit for your mural. Graffiti is bad however, which is why Bylaw 25-5 states, "Every owner or occupier of real property must cover or remove from that real property any graffiti present on a building, structure, wall, fence, or any other surface that is visible from a public place." Otherwise, the City will repair the graffiti, and charge the resident accordingly.

I suspect these downtown residents will likely get their mural applications approved, should they choose to submit. The City is so keen on permanent graffiti murals, it hosts what surely must be one of the largest municipal-approved graffitis in Canada (what, 100+ feet wide?) on the back of the Memorial Arena (as below).

May 05, 2008

One of the reasons I love newspapers so much is that they're persistent. Not persistent in the way that a journalist in pursuit of an investigation might be described as persistent, but rather persistent with respect to how long I can retain an actual page from a newspaper while I figure out what I think of it.

While I consider this attribute of persistence to be highly desirable, my wife would describe its physical manifestation as a firetrap. She might be right; I have more torn-out sections of local, distant, and national newspapers/magazines laying around my home office, bedroom, and living room armchair than most households have in their recycle bin.

Each of these retained stories represents a potential post, but for some reason (lack of time, lack of initiative, lack of anything original to say), I haven't got them to the blog - and may not get them to the recycle bin thereafter - without a different, more compact approach.

This is where Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops buckles down, and with a nod to more established practitioners, introduces a new category of posts - Baker Likes/Baker Doesn't - which hopefully will combine to enable:

fewer newsy combustibles of long-term persistence in the Baker household

greater breadth of opinion, and;

even less depth/critical thought than previously demonstrated here

So, without further ado:

Baker Likes:

Kamloops This Week - A pretty new face on the paper publication and (after an apparent initial misfire) the introduction of online video news stories to the Kamloops area, with video of an April 23 press conference outside the Kamloops Courthouse by regional Crown prosecutor Lorne Fisher. The video, captured by veteran cameraman Dave Eagles, provides stripped-down coverage (no reporter commentary/voice over) of the event in the context of a traditional (albeit online) newspaper story. Any bets on how long it will take KTW's local competitors to respond?

National Infectious Diseases Day - OK, I am way behind the curve on this one, given that NIDD was celebrated 18-Oct-2007! In Canada, nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections kill 8,000-12,000 Canadians each year. That's like the population of Summerland, dead, every year. OK, it's just a call for a national strategy, but it's a start. Like washing your hands (yes, healthcare workers, that means you).

Baker Doesn't:

Mixed Member Proportional (MPP) representation - Back in October Ontario voters shot down a proposal to move away from the province's existing First Past The Post (FPTP - otherwise known as Winner Take All, or plurality) voting system toward something even less effective and more confusing. If voters want better representation, they should stop whining and instead pressure parties to provide better representation, either by building coalitions that generate wins, or by articulating their values in such a way as to influence political realities without getting elected.

Hypocrites who rail about the need to reduce our collective carbon footprint, but want the government to control the price of gas. Listen, I drive a gas guzzler, and it hurts every time I fill up; I think maybe I should drive something more efficient, or take the bus, or ride my bike, or do whatever to reduce the impact on my pocket book. This kind of negative feedback should, over time, help even clueless citizens like me, who are relatively unconcerned about global warming, to curb their enthusiasm for carbon without any government intervention. Stop bitching about global warming if you're not prepared to either alter your contributing lifestyle or pay the price for maintaining it.

The struggling forestry sector - Coe Newnes McGehee - Salmon Arm's largest employer - met with employees last weekend to discuss the difficult straights in which it finds itself. The company provides services and automation solutions to the dimensional wood products industry in Canada, the US, and around the world. The high-tech pioneer appears poised to seek protection from creditors, as it doesn't expect to see an upturn in the sector before 2010. The best case scenario for employees; retain just 1/3 of the current staff.

To share your thoughts about the price of gas, electoral systems, global warming, hospitals that don't smell like disinfectant, media, fire hazards, the economy, or any other subject with Right Up Your
Alley: Kamloops
readers, click on "Comments" (below).

April 25, 2008

Say what you will about Hillary Clinton, but you have to respect how, with her back against the wall, she adopted some of the
best/worst practices of the G.W. Bush campaign machine. This week, hard on the heals of her big win in the Pennsylvania primary,
she attacked one of the Obama campaign’s strengths - the popular vote - which
his team has pointed to consistently as an indicator of his right to
the nomination. He can argue long and loud that her numbers are skewed,
but the more he does, the more clouded this issue becomes.

Suddenly,
something that was once an unquestioned certainty is now open to
interpretation. The uncertainty and doubt created by this single move effectively gives super delegates permission to focus on other metrics or intangibles, as they decide which horse to bet on for the nomination.

I like Obama, but if Democrats want to win against McCain they should go with the candidate with street fighter instincts. Then again, as a Canadian my opinion counts even
less in this race than the opinions of the millions of disenfranchised primary voters in
Florida and Michigan.

And while we're on the subject of Obama, what’s with his back-and-forth head
snaps between teleprompters during his speeches? Does he ever actually
stop to look at anybody? It’s a little hypnotic, kind of like
windshield wipers when you’re driving through a rain storm! Seriously. Once you
notice it, you’ll never be able watch him speak again without hearing the slap of squeegees against your windscreen.

February 26, 2008

Well, the needle has finally moved on Angus Reid's advertisement, or poll, or whatever the heck it is that asks Kamloops residents to rate the performance of Kamloops mayor Terry Lake.

Those of you who who visited this space back in December may recall a
thread of discussion about these... OK, let's call them adverpolls for lack of a better word. They're everywhere; Angus Reid Forum uses them to generate interest and new participants in its market research initiatives. When I posted about the adverpoll - which at the time was reporting a 60/40 split against Mayor Lake - the mayor responded that in fact the adverpoll had reported the same result for at least 6 months, despite the best efforts of his supporters.

So, the results of this Angus Reid adverpoll have finally changed, although certainly not in the mayor's fortune, but instead rather decidedly and improbably against Mr. Lake.

As you can see from before two images below, the first image shows the adverpoll's question, while the second image shows the current result.

Despite the flack the mayor has received regarding back yard barbeques and whatnot, is it really possible that 100% of "a selection of website visitors who voluntarily answered the question" voted against the mayor? Granted, the disclaimer indicates it is an "unscientific poll", but still, if at one point it showed 40% in favour, how can it now indicate just 0% in favour? What happened to those "Yes" votes that had been counted to December?

Insofar as Angus Reid Forum adverpolls are interactive, they are excellent advertising; the local poll certainly hooked me right away. Given the extent to which Angus Reid Forum has reproduced them in other communities across Canada, I suspect they have been a very effective draw that have helped the company grow its market research efforts.

However, as Kamloops This Week Editor Christopher Foulds commented in December, "... the 'Terry Lake' question is not a poll". That may be, but to this unassuming participant it looks like a poll despite the "unscientific poll" disclaimer, which in essence seems more like industry shorthand for doing pretty well whatever one wants, and still
calling the thing a poll.

Public Agenda publishes a guideline for journalists to help them determine which polls should be covered; the very first question a journalist should ask is, "Who did the poll?... because reputation is important to a quality firm, a professionally conducted poll will avoid many errors." Now, the average online Canadian may not read guidance intended for journalists, but it's not rocket science that a good reputation lends credibility. I question whether lending one's credibility to a campaign that creates more confusion, misinformation, or disinformation in the arena of political polling is an undertaking in which Angus Reid should be engaged.

Since we last visited this issue in December, the polling firm has changed the adverpoll disclaimer, having dropped the last sentence, "For scientific polls conducted by Angus Reid Strategies, visit www.angusreidstrategies.com". So, given that Angus Reid has already demonstrated some flexibility might I suggest that the disclaimer again be further amended to include language that unambiguously indicates the "unscientific poll" is actually an advertisement?

Disclaimers are commonly used when an advertisement could be mistaken for something else. Consider infomercials, upon which we often see a disclaimer to the effect of, "the following program is a paid advertisement". The infomercial analogy isn't perfect, as the broadcaster may require disclaimer language, while the Internet is really more like the lawless wild west. But still, shouldn't we expect the straight goods from Angus Reid?

Try the poll yourself, here. What do you think? To share your thoughts about advertising, adverpolls, gullible bloggers, the Terry Lake poll specifically, or polling generally with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

February 14, 2008

My average level of frustration with current council is fairly elevated. I disagree with the notion that just because a particular level of government can do a thing, that it should do that thing. While there are a couple of individual exceptions, the overall bent of the current Kamloops city council is more than a little too nanny-state for my liking.

Nevertheless (I really love that word), the idea of municipal blue boxes is somewhat appealing. The Baker family has collected recyclables for years, and often the children join me on trips to the depot. I would prefer that recycling had been voluntarily adopted by more households, however here we are with a curbside recycling program imposed upon us whether we want it or not. Still, at less than $2 per month the cost is not onerous, and households that can sort and shift enough of their existing garbage output towards the blue bin could actually net out about even.

So, early Wednesday morning I eagerly filled our brand new blue container to the rim with accumulated
cardboard, cans, newspaper, and milk jugs, then wheeled it out to the end of the driveway. Much to my chagrin however, recycling pickup hasn't started yet, so after the truck went by I sheepishly wheeled the full container back to the garage.

I know I'm gonna take it in the ear from buddies who complain (as I have) about how over-governed and over-taxed we are. But while my first curbside recycling experience was a disappointment, with apologies to Joey and the gang at Café Primo I think I'm looking forward to doing it again next week, almost!

To share your thoughts about recycling, municipal blue boxes, Kamloops city council, or anything else with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops
readers, click on "Comments" (below).

February 07, 2008

1. Bolero Restaurant: I was lucky this trip to get away from the hotel Wednesday evening for a dinner meeting. My guest was local, and suggested we dine at Bolero, the Brazilian churrascaria (or barbecue) restaurant above the Smuggler's Inn on MacLeod Trail, which was in December named by Where Magazine as one of the Top 10 New restaurants in Canada for 2007. The food was excellent. The rodizio format meant we paid one flat fee while helping ourselves to a wide variety of rotisserie meats which the wait staff circulated throughout the restaurant, slicing off portions from large skewers for those with a green light on their table; once you get stuffed, you flip it over to the red light. The fair ranged from coconut rice and and superlative salad bar to rack of lamb, chicken, beef, seafood, and pork on skewers. Overall rating: good enough to bring home a souvenir menu.

2. David Suzuki caused quite a stir in Calgary when he suggested to a Montreal audience recently that politicians should be imprisoned for the "intergenerational crime" of ignoring climate change science. Mr. Suzuki challenged attendees of the McGill Business Conference on Sustainability to, "put a lot of effort into trying to see whether there's a legal way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail because what they're doing is a criminal act."

Mr. Suzuki's repeats his claims of "intergenerational crime" here on his web site. So, we the electorate elect leaders who reflect our collective will, and like us many of those leaders in practice demonstrate a preference for economy over the environment, wealth over conservation, and words over action. And somehow the politicians should be imprisoned for reflecting our own hypocrisy? Nice grandstanding Mr. Suzuki, but our prison system is a few million beds shy of the capacity necessary to house the rest of us who are complicit in these "crimes".

3. The provincial writ has just been dropped in Alberta, but the battle is already heating up on Facebook, where the NDP out in front with social networking campaign with which the party hopes to influence undecided voters. What I find fascinating about this is that many people include professional colleagues as "friends" on their social networking profiles; does this mean that politics is coming out of the closet as a topic of discussion in the workplace? So much for Canadian sensibilities about such taboo subject matter; before you know it, we'll be talking about religion in mixed company!

PS - Watch for organized Facebook campaigns in the BC municipal elections coming to your town this fall!

To share your thoughts about Alberta politics, Calgary restaurants, David Suzuki, or environmental hypocrisy with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

Human rights is not just a federal issue. As this case illustrates, human rights are widely ignored in China at every level of government. Click on the YouTube video below to watch a brief Sky News report about some commonplace human rights violations in China:

December 25, 2007

If you read, watch, or listen to the news in Canada, you are no doubt aware of Angus Reid. The market research company tracks, and some would say influences, public opinion on politics and a host of other issues. Angus Reid himself sold the Angus Reid Group, which had become the largest market research in Canadian history and claimed a perfect 25-year record of predicting Canadian elections, in 2000 to international giant Ipsos. Since then, Mr. Reid has founded a couple of related market research companies, including Angus Reid Strategies.

Angus Reid Strategies describes itself as, "... a full-service public opinion and market
research company, with an emphasis on online research, providing
consulting and services to clients in North America." One way the company collects online research is through its online panel, Angus Reid Forum.

When I happened across this online forum's web site today, I was surprised to discover a poll which appears to be specifically targeted at Kamloops residents. The poll's one and only question?

IS TERRY LAKE DOING A GOOD JOB AS MAYOR OF KAMLOOPS?

The disclaimer on the Angus Reid Forum web site indicates that the poll is unscientific (as pictured below). Nevertheless, when 60% of respondents to an Angus Reid poll disagree with the notion that the mayor is doing a good job, one can't help but wonder if the winds of change will blow in Kamloops next fall.

The next question one might logically ask: for whom is the poll being conducted? There has already been some speculation in the local media that some of our existing councilors might want the top job. Is one of them taking the public temperature? I have some thoughts about the poll, but they will have to wait for a future post. As it is, I think I hear the sound of tiny hooves on my roof, so I best make sure the milk and cookies are out where St. Nick can see them. Merry Christmas!

What do you think? To share your thoughts about who sponsored the poll, Mayor Terry Lake, city council, or next year's municipal elections with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

October 31, 2007

Kamloops Mayor Terry Lake has taken pains recently to educate us on how necessary politicians are to the establishment of trade with China. Mayor Lake led a delegation to China recently, and returned with news that it will actually be some time before Kamloops council will be able to step away from what has been largely billed as a business initiative. It seems that without the presence of Canadian political figures, it's difficult to gain or hold the attention of the Chinese officials who can facilitate or impede commerce. Indeed the Chinese politicos have themselves very effectively secured the attention of our own representatives with the prospect of bringing Ming Tomb artifact to Kamloops.

As discussed on these pages prior to the Mayor's trip (Will Mayor Lake Think Global, Act Local on Human Rights?), the development of trade with China at this local level presents the Mayor with a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate true leadership at home and abroad by promoting human rights in China concurrent to his efforts on behalf of our business community. Rather, our political leadership is apparently preparing to recommit itself to promoting the interests of business alone.

If Kamloops City Council determines that it should continue to lead these delegations because it satisfies the cultural requirements of our international partners, fair enough. But if council does need to be involved, it should bring to bear political leadership on a spectrum broader than just business promotion and museum artifacts that put stars in your eyes.

Political leadership is about finding a way to do right thing, and the right thing in this case is for the Mayor to put human rights on the table, rather than making excuses about how that just isn't his place. If these trips really won't support any dialogue more substantive than what has already transpired, then it's time for our municipal politicians to pass the torch to Kamloops business leaders, who I am sure if given the opportunity will impress our counterparts in China with the skill, innovation, and opportunities they bring to the table.

To share your thoughts about politics, trade with China, or human
rights with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

Mr. Flaherty - who playfully evoked the ghost of Prime Minister Lester Pearson to illustrate how far the current motley crew of Liberals have strayed since that Nobel laureate ran his own minority governments in the sixties - increased the basic personal exemption by 13.5% over the next 14 months, including a $700 increase retroactive to the beginning of this year. He further proposed reductions in the GST rate (to 5%) effective January 1 2008, and in the corporate tax rate to 15% by 2012. The finance minister also proposed to pay down the debt by $10 billion, but the key element of course is Mr. Flaherty's populist and fiscally responsible initiative to start putting taxpayer dollars back into our pockets.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion says he won't bring the government down over the proposals, which in my opinion reflects quite well on the man. By embracing political discomfort now in the hopes of experiencing more favourable political conditions in the future, Dion is demonstrating the fundamental political skill; timing. However, his support of the mini-budget will also force Dion to accept delivery of a populist time-bomb that will surely make his spring no less disagreeable than the current fall session.

To kick off 2008, the GST cut will put Canadians in a good mood just as Christmas bills start showing up. Next,the
retroactive change to the basic personal exemption will most likely
result in richer tax refund cheques when Canadians submit their 2007
tax returns. Once average Canadians have actually experienced these relatively immediate and very visible rewards, the Conservatives will be able to communicate more aggressively and persuasively regarding the benefits of small vs. big government without coming across as having a "hidden agenda".

Much like the Liberal's own commitment to Kyoto a couple of years ago, the Conservatives are now salting the earth for the official opposition, albeit with tax cuts rather than green rhetoric. But while the Conservatives weathered the fuss over Kyoto with surprising ease, it won't be so easy for the Liberals to to talk about new spending programs once Canadians receive that spring refund cheque and start developing expectations for more of the same in the future. Now the question on Canadians' minds will be, "If Harper can afford to give us back that much dough, what the hell were the Liberals doing with it in the first place". If Messrs. Harper and Flaherty can shift the focus that far, Mr. Dion and company will find it increasingly difficult to justify an approach via which the Liberals have grown government and exerted their will not only in the lives of citizens, but also in areas of provincial constitutional authority, through spending and henceforth, taxation.

To share your thoughts with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers about the fiscal update specifically or politics generally, click on "Comments" (below).

October 06, 2007

Kamloops Councilor Arjun Singh floats a lot of ideas. Some of them are stinkers, but he tees up real issues with enough frequency to earn a lot of voter respect. Case in point his suggestion this week that Mayor Terry Lake raise human rights while leading a city delegation to China later this month.

Mayor Terry Lake pushed back on the idea, stating that the purpose of the trip was to promote business, not human rights. However, he went on to state that if the Kamloops delegation did raise human rights issues, it might be subject to similar queries from the Chinese regarding our record of dealing with First Nations.

So what? While a municipal delegation isn't necessarily the typical vehicle for pressing human rights, I'm perplexed by Mayor Lake's apparent fear of raising the issue and having to possibly defend Canada's human rights record against China's. Granted, our history of native relations is marred with mistakes like residential schools, but nevertheless these two countries quite clearly exist on opposite ends of the human rights spectrum. Or do they?

Have a look at the table below; columns A and B represent the human rights record of two different countries as measured against a variety of human rights criteria. Can you spot any differences between the two countries? If so, which country (A or B) has the better human rights record?

If you noticed a difference between columns A and B, you're on the right track. If you furthermore determined that Country A (Canada) has a superior human rights record than Country B (China), count yourself among the large majority of Canadians who could walk into a discussion of Canadian vs. Sino human rights records with their head up and their lips wet with anticipation.

If the Mayor doesn't want to raise human rights, fine. But Mr. Lake, you are a highly intelligent man. You can think on your feet, and I can't imagine a circumstance in which you would not be able to give as good as or better than you got. You should be proud of Canada's human rights record; don't use it as a lame excuse to avoid an unpleasant task.

Councilor Joe Leong also warranted a raised eyebrow from this corner for his comment that, "China has its own democracy. It's called Chinese democracy." China may have fashioned its own form of capitalism, but politically the country lost whatever progress it made toward Chinese democracy at Tiananmen Square. Canada and China are not similar politically, despite the fact that good people inhabit both countries. There are already too many politicians losing their way in a relativistic fog, Joe. We need more of your expertise and clarity of thought, but less of the doublespeak.

The fact is that we have plenty of good reasons to engage China, and Mr. Leong is doing a wonderful job of spearheading some local initiatives that are doing just that. Business throughout Canada has been busy establishing beachhead relationships between our two countries, but at some point Canada must insist on building something more substantial - like real respect for human rights - on top of that commercial veneer. This is where a middle power like Canada (and a municipality like Kamloops) can have the greatest international impact. But if we refuse to emphasize core Canadian values while expanding our relationship with China, the fact we can discern between columns A and B above is of no value to the citizens of that country.

The environmental movement in recent years has admonished our society to, "Think global, act local." It's a powerful motto; whatever the global issues may be, no matter how big they seem, it always comes down to what one person will do or will not do to create change within the sphere of his or her own influence. Mayor Lake often finds ways to think global and act local on behalf of the city when the issues are green, but Councilor Singh is now in essence asking Mr. Lake to demonstrate the same kind of leadership posture on unfamiliar turf.

Mayor Lake may not think it's his place to raise human rights when he leads the Kamloops delegation to China, and ultimately it's within his discretion to make the call. But I for one am confident he has the courage and skill necessary to deliver a delicate payload without harming the purpose of the trip. Councilor Singh did us a favour by putting the issue on the table; now the question is whether the Mayor will deliver the message, or pull up lame instead.

To share your thoughts about politics, trade with China, or human rights with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

September 24, 2007

This evening I'm on the road. I travel fairly frequently for business, this week to Winnipeg. I've done a little sight-seeing on previous visits, snapped some pictures, but this time I'm well west of the downtown core, out near the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Canad Inns Stadium.

I try hard to fit in some local experience wherever I go, but between flights and meetings often that local experience translates into little more than the food and drink that can be found within walking distance of the hotel. This evening however, with a strong recommendation and a little help from the shuttle driver, I've oddly enough arrived at the Winnipeg Hooters for tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Saints and the Titans.

After a brief battle with the waitress over the concept of local vs. domestic beers, she scrounges up a scarred bottle of Two Rivers Red lager by the Fort Garry Brewing Company. Although the first bottle goes down well, it is quite frankly a little sweet for my taste and so the second bottle sits largely unfinished on the table while the waitresses - who I am surprised to discover provide very fast service - sling beers and pose for photos with the football-mad crowd.

I'm a little out of place sitting by myself reading back issues of the Winnipeg Free Press and scrawling notes between columns, but am intrigued to read about a local entrepreneur who was recently run out of the downtown by Winnipeg city council.

Council sunk Kyriakos Vogiatzakis's application to moor the River Rouger - his riverboat - at the Donald Street dock. Downtown residents concerned about party noise and parking successfully lobbied council, so now the entrepreneur is left nursing his wounds. "That's the problem with this city. Nothing moves here. It's very conservative, and that's why all the young people move to other provinces," Mr. Vogiatzakis complained to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Nicholas Hirst's subsequent column in the same paper, Unplan for a vibrant downtown, argues that the city needs to find a way to energize the downtown, not via a grand plan or politicians bending backwards over NIMBY special interests, but rather by allowing business initiatives to occur rather than stifling them.

His column brings to mind our own troubles with the concept of a downtown waterfront hotel in Kamloops. The concept spurred the organization of the Save Public Waterfront group, and provided an opportunity then and since for some local politicians to come down firmly on both sides of the issue.

To be clear, there is no comparison between downtown Winnipeg's urban decay and the situation in Kamloops, but the underlying problem may be similar: lack of investment and growth.

Retail and residential investment has largely bypassed the foot-friendly core of our fair city for much of the 25 years since Aberdeen Mall opened and residential development followed it up the hill. The experience was similar on the North Shore when the Halston Bridge opened around the same time; the new route expedited traffic and consumers away from traditional North Shore retail centers on Fortune and Tranquille. One major retailer after another (Eatons, Woodwards, The Bay, Zellers, Sears, Overwaitea, etc.) abandoned both the downtown and the North Shore, leaving both areas sucking wind while the southwest sector stretched its legs.

As much as things have improved since then, opinions differ on whether the Kamloops downtown core is now "vibrant". I can't count the number of times I've heard residents and visitors alike complain that there is nothing open downtown on Sundays, for example. Some seem to think this is the fault of retailers, as though they had some kind of civic obligation to remain open when there isn't any business. Retailers will keep their doors open when there is sufficient demand, but when there isn't, they don't.

While Winnipeg council has nixed proposals that could well have breathed some energy into the downtown core, our civic leaders have so far resisted pressure to rezone the parking lot behind Interior Savings Centre as parkland, and have so left the door open to development there in the future. Zoning and taxation are the two primary tools with which municipalities can directly encourage new investment, and on the latter count the City also implemented a Revitalization Tax Exemption to encourage investment in the downtown core. But while the general concept of development can be attractive, civic politicians often tie themselves into knots over specific initiatives.

It must be very tempting to meddle in every little thing; recently some councilors have made heavy-handed comments about smoking bylaws for restaurant patios. While I appreciate their enthusiasm, business is more apt to thrive when it has the opportunity to innovate and differentiate, rather than conform. If council is serious about growing an energetic and thriving downtown core it will need to resist the urge to pull out the whistle, at least until the game actually gets underway.

Back at Hooters as I finish this post, it looks like the New Orleans Saints will need more than a friendly ref if they expect to come out on top; at some point, the players need to show up.

To share your thoughts with Right Up Your Alley: Kamloops readers, click on "Comments" (below).

September 08, 2007

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is a persistent organization. Over the years it has been at the front of various initiatives with respect to the Coquihalla Highway, the most recent of which occurred in May at the BC Chamber's Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the Victoria AGM, the Kelowna Chamber proposed a resolution calling for the provincial government to periodically reduce the toll charges over the next couple of years, and eliminate the toll altogether by the beginning of 2010.

The Kelowna Chamber was unsuccessful in generating the support necessary for the resolution to succeed (55% of the delegates supported the resolution, while a 2/3 majority was required); rather, delegates passed a separate resolution (opposed by the Kelowna Chamber) asking the provincial government to allocate revenue from the province's only toll highway towards new highway development and maintenance (in essence, let's keep the toll).

Then in July, the last 4-lane section of the highway between Garcia and Courtney lakes was completed just east of Merritt (Minister Falcon at the announcement, right). The completion of this final leg of the highway effectively killed efforts by many within the Okanagan to convince the government to instead build the Kingsvale Connector. The connector would considerably shorten the drive time between Kelowna and Vancouver, but would also bypass Merritt and potentially impact traffic density north to Kamloops. The issue has long been a source of discontent throughout the Okanagan.

On Friday however Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon threw Kelowna and the rest of the Interior a bone when he spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Chamber, which according to the Kelowna Daily Courier (Free ride on Coquihalla unlikely before 2012) was attended by "hundreds of people". Much to the delight of those in attendance, the Minister put the issue of the toll back on the table by speculating that when the cost of construction is fully paid, "we can have a discussion then about the tolls – whether they should be continued, reduced or eliminated.”

Figures published by the Courier indicate that the cost of the Coquihalla was $955 million; to date $700 million in tolls have
been collected, and with $50 million in annual revenues the cost of the highway should be paid off by 2012.

Addressing the subject of the toll provides the Liberals with an excellent opportunity to engage the Interior at the half-way mark of its mandate. The Liberals are sitting on a booming economy and a $3 billion surplus, which will allow them to put the toll back into play as they should.

Such a move would be a political winner. It would help win over many of the voters in "the Heartland" who were unimpressed with the Liberals' attempts in their first mandate to privatize the highway, and remain equally unimpressed with massive Olympic spending that hasn't generated many local benefits outside the lower mainland.

While this story only received two inches of print in today's Kamloops Daily News, it should garner a lot more attention over the next couple of years. Expect the government to trickle-feed us with updates as they allow popular support to "convince" them to remove the toll. This will allow them to dominate Interior front page news at their leisure, while concurrently keeping the NDP off-message (not that they seem to need much help). In the end the toll will be gone and here in Kamloops we'll get exactly what we want, as will the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, and of course, the Liberals.

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